1988 Stalker Restore

[JoshuaFisher]

Hello all!

Well after lurking on the forums for a couple of months I'm finally making my first post! I bought this boat almost a year ago and started to notice a soft spot and just kept getting worse. Doing a little research on the subject of a restore i came across this site and decided it was something I am capable of (wishful thinking??). Now that i have a place to work on it there is no time like the present to get started.. so here are a couple pics of my progress so far... as you can see all the foam was soaked... In addition off this site i got the specs for a motor stand which is working wonderfully! after i get this post up and some pics ill start with the questions hahaha!

 

[JoshuaFisher]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

so now im still working on getting the floor and foam out but i have some questions on the transom. Ive seen some threads where the boat had a cap on it that had to be removed to access the transom i thought i was in luck cause my boat didnt seem to have a cap but now that im digging into im a little confused... was there a cap on this boat at one point? When i bought the boat the PO said he had redone the floor and transom (terrible job to only last a year or two eh?) I dont see whats holding this on so im assuming its glassed in? There are some reeeevits on it but i think its only for the rubrail? Thanks!



this is what it looks like to the right of where the motor mounts, it goes all the way around the boat but the gunwale hangs over the outside of the boat so not sure what to do, or if i should just cut it off to get to transom area?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

Welcome to iBoats!

Please post a pic from inside the boat looking back at the transom. Also inside standing look down at the top of the transom and then from the outside from the back looking down and across the top of the transom.

 

[JoshuaFisher]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

Thanks for the reply, will do it as soon as I'm home!

 

[JoshuaFisher]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

Inside of boat looking at transom:


Inside looking down:


And from the back:

 

[JoshuaFisher]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

so im making some progress on this foam... talk about a pain haha!


as far as the lip goes do i just try and grind that down? or should i get closer to the hull?

 

[JoshuaFisher]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

also whats the best way to get the small bits of foam out? I heard something about a wire brush on an angle grinder?? thanks.

 

[JoshuaFisher]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

anyone?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

get a 4 1/2" grinder with a backup pad and 24 grit resin coated sanding discs and grind the lip off. They'll also work on the remaining foam bits too!

 

[JoshuaFisher]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

awesome thanks! anything more about the transom pics you wanted me to take/possible previous cap?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

I think she originally looked something like this...

 

[JoshuaFisher]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

Wow thanks, hard to imagine lol considering how it looked when I got it... So then is the lip actually a cap then? And if it was how is it goin to affect the integrity of the hull being it doesn't run across the top to keep the sides from flaring out? Or am I way off?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

I'd use 1/2" plywood to make a casting deck on the front and make some divider supports down to the deck to support it. You could put a ice chest and a live well in it too! Lot's of options if you put your creativity to work.

 

[JoshuaFisher]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

ya thats what i was thinking and glassing in the console to it... only thing is the front part is right on the hull so would i have to make something to protect the hull from anything damaging it that im storing in there? In addition it was a side console but i want to change it to center console and scoot it up a bit so i can fish out of the back of the boat better... my only question is with weight distribution is there any thing i can do to try and figure out if the planing will be affected. i should note that previous to this my boat had a real hardtime planning out and after getting the foam out i can see why, foam completely saturated with atleast a gallon of standing water filling the spots not filled with foam.

 

[JoshuaFisher]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

Welp *sigh*. I'm working on getting this transom out and im currently trying to decide just what kind of mess im in and whether i can stay motivated on this project.


The hardest problem im having is getting this skin off i honestly think when the PO said he "redid" the floor he just laid a crap load of fiber glass cause its all easily 1/4 inch and almost a half inch in some places... its clearly completly rotten. So any tips on removing it would be much appreciated. Another issue im having is thinking ahead about how its gonna go back together being i thought it didnt have a cap but now am under the impression it was just hacked back by the PO and inorder to get the transom in/out and i gonna have to just cut it off in the back area?? Im just kinda stuck right now on if i should move forward on this.. all feedback is much appreciated. thanks!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

Take a circular saw and set it just shy of the depth of the transom and cut a series of crosscuts in multiple directions and then your chiseling will be a lot easier.

 

[JoshuaFisher]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

will do thanks! any opinion on the possible cap or watever the top part is? should i just cut off, the reason i ask is because when i put the new one in i wont be able to properly tab it in... but i dont see if it is a cap how its attached unless the rivets go thru the rubrail and the hull? If i do cut it off just in the transom area will it affect my hull strength at all?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

I'd cut it about 6" in front of the transom. I'd suspect you'll need to build some sort of cap when you get the new transom back in along with some sort of a splashwell. We can discuss that once the rebuild starts.

 

[JoshuaFisher]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

Sounds good thanks again, if you got paid even a penny for every boat you've had a hand in you'd be a millionaire haha!

 

[JoshuaFisher]

Re: 1988 Stalker Restore

So the nature of my job has me leaving outa country for an extended amount of time, ill be leaving before ill be able to begin any of the rebuilding/glass of stringers and transom.. i should have the transom out by the end of the day my question is if i pull the stringers as well so i can start grinding/sanding the inside of the hull, will the hull deform over roughly a sixth month period before i can get the new stringers in? So basically should i wait till i get back to pull the stringers? Thanks!